The vibrancy of the music scene in the Tulsa metro makes Broken Arrow the perfect location for a luxurious new outdoor amphitheater, according to one enthusiastic project developer.
Bob Mudd is senior vice president of construction and market expansion for VENU, a Gainesville, Ga., based hospitality and entertainment firm. The $107 million amphitheater he’s speaking of is now under construction in Events Park; it’s a public-private partnership with the city of Broken Arrow and its economic development authority. Scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2026, the Sunset Amphitheater will seat 12,500 people and offer more than 200 fireplace suites to make it a year-round facility, Mudd says.
“I can’t speak highly enough about how good it has been to work with the city of Broken Arrow,” Mudd says. “The city had a great deal of vision for what Events Park would be, and they had a long-term plan for putting an amphitheater there. It obviously stood out as a fantastic location.”
The state-of-the-art facility, located on 13 acres, will be handy for fans and entertainers alike with its location 15 minutes from the airport and the center of Tulsa, Mudd says.
“A lot of the touring acts are looking specifically for outdoor venues,” Mudd says. “Artists love that outdoor environment. We will be bringing the world’s best entertainers through Tulsa.”
Acts that have appeared at – and often sold out – VENU’s other locations in Gainesville and Colorado Springs, Colo., include Foreigner, Dirks Bentley, Allison Kraus, Robert Plant, Styx, Steve Miller, the Beach Boys, Ronnie Milsap, Josh Turner and Diamond Rio, Mudd says.
“We’re looking at 70-plus concerts a year,” he continues.
All the upper and lower bowl seating will be covered and protected from the weather above, and most parking will be right next to the amphitheater.
The Luxe FireSuites will feature natural gas-powered fire pits and a private environment for taking in a concert. All suites will include food and beverage service before and during the shows. A high-end restaurant and hospitality space will also be open during events.
Other possible uses for the amphitheater include high school and college graduations and virtually any type of performing arts showcase, Mudd says.
Once open, the Sunset Amphitheater will offer well-paying, full-time jobs all year-round, Mudd says. The economic impact is projected at $1.7 to $2 billion in the first decade of operation.
The concerts are projected to generate nearly $4 million in city sales tax and $934,000 in ad valorem tax revenues annually, according to the city of Broken Arrow’s website, with an estimated annual economic impact of $211 million.
VENU recently broke ground on a 20,000-seat amphitheater in McKinney, Texas, Mudd says. Another amphitheater is planned near El Paso, and talks are underway with the city of Yukon in the Oklahoma City metro.
